BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 1, 2021 — Hon. Anthony Mahler, Tourism Minister and area representative of the Pickstock constituency, along with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Kevin Bernard, and the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), has signed a memorandum of understanding to commence a pilot project under which structural improvements will be carried out on the historic Berger Field. Funding for the project will be provided by Mahler, the Youth Ministry and the FFB — all three of which will independently raise money to fund the project.

At the signing of the MOU, Mahler remarked, “For far too long this significant field, in terms of producing football players and athletes in the city, has been neglected. Some years ago I approached my friends over the FFB and just recently approached Minister Bernard for us to seriously look at Berger Field and to use it as a pilot or another project we can use to showcase the football skills we have in this country.” Hon. Kevin Bernard also cited the positive effects this partnership will have. He stated, “As we approach and try to address the many issues that we are facing here in Belize City, especially in the Southside of the city, reviving Berger field [is of great importance] and while we open back sports to its full potential, we need to create those spaces where our young people and our athletes can engage on a daily basis.”

Some of Belize’s most celebrated athletes, including legendary football star, Fabian Rivero; boxing champ, Carlton Bowers, and football luminaries such as Deon McCaulay and Ian Jones, played, during their early years, on the Berger Field.